Interpretations 



pest had been spent. In short, as in other fea- 

 tures of bird-life, it is idle to conjecture; but 

 this I do know, that thirty-six hours after the 

 storm, every bird was in its place and the ec- 

 static songs of our several resident species — 

 blue-birds, robins, the cardinal and the song- 

 sparrow — announced the approach of spring. 

 It seemed a trifle ironical, amid such arctic con- 

 ditions, to sing of summer, but then the birds 

 and ourselves see Nature from a different 

 standpoint. To accentuate this superlatively 

 wintry condition, a great flock of arctic snow- 

 birds glittered in the sunlight as they passed 

 over, alighted, not on the ground, but among 

 the top-most twigs of a maple, twittered glee- 

 fully and were gone. How happened they to 

 come ? Was it against their will, caught by the 

 gale and carried southward of their chosen 

 field; or, riding merrily on the back of the 

 storm, did curiosity overcome discretion? How 

 easy to ask questions ! 



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